Expansible cabinet.



D. E. HUNTER.

EXPANSIBLE CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED 8EPT.'I,1909.

1,020,557, Patented Mar. 19,.1912.

3 BHEETS-BHEET 1.

D. E. HUNTER.

EXPANSIBLE CABINET.

APPLICATION FILED SBPT.'I, 1909.

1,020,557. Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

D. E. HUNTER.

EXPANSIBLB CABINET.

APPLICATION TILED SEPT.7, 1909.

1,020,557. Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

3 8HBETS-SHEET 3.

WITHEEEEE: IHVENTIIIR:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DAVID E. HUNTER, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO LIBRARY BUREAU, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

EXPANSIBLE CABINET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 7, 1909.

Patented Mar. 19, 1912.

Serial No. 516,530.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID E. Hr'N'rnn, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Expansible Cabinets, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to museum cabinets and similar structures and particularly to expansible cabinets or cases of the general class known to the trade as unit systems, by which the capacity of the cabinet or case may be varied according to the needs of the user.

The invention consists in the structural peculiarities hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings which illustrate certain embodiments of my invention,-

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing two cabinet sections and a separator in position to be assembled to make one form of my improved cabinet; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the two sections and the separator shown in Fig. 1 in assembled position;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modified form of cabinet sections and separator, assembled; Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the separators used in the construction shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a vertical cross section on line 5-5 of Fig. 3;- Fig. 6 is a horizontal section on line 66 of Fig. 3; Fig. 7 is a vertical longitudinal, central section through the cabinet shown in Fig. 3, parts thereof being broken away; Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view in section showing one of the dust-proofing strips used in the cabinet shown in Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive; and Fig. 9 is an enlarged detail view in section showing one of the joints and said dustproofing strip in compressed position between the faces of the joint.

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, A, A represent two cabinet sections which are identical in one vertical plane dimension, and as herein shown are identical in all respects. In the form herein shown the cabinets A, A are composed of panel pieces of glass 0, each provlded with metal margin strips-a, which may be separably or permanently secured together. When these cabinets are used singly or independently they are inclosed by panels at all sides. To adapt them for use in an expansible cabinet, that is, as units entering into an enlarged structure made up of similar cabinet sections, the end panels are removed so that the juxtaposed ends of two cabinet sections are open and unobstriwted, as shown at 0 B is a separator corresponding in contour with the identical plane contours of the cabinets A, A and consisting of a margin frame which fits between the open ends of the cabinet sections, and is entirely open and unobstructed in the center as shown, whereby a clear and unobstructed space is provided through and through from one cabinet section to another when the cabinet sections are assembled with the separator between them.

Each cabinet section A is mounted upon a base A provided with a base board A. To fill the gap between the bases when two cabinet sections are juxtaposed with the separator between them, the separator B is provided with the marginal depending strips or tongues B, fashioned to fit the space between the bases. Each separator B is also made with the tongue-flanges b at each side to engage corresponding boxflanges a in the adjacent cabinet frames. Thus, when the elements are assembled as shown in Fig. 2, the separator and its depending strips make a close joint at all points between the adjacent cabinet sec-' tions and their bases. Strips of dust-proofing material such as felt may be interposed if desiredbetween the engaging joint-making faces of the cabinet frames and separator. In order to bind the cabinet sections and the intervening separator together, any suitable clamping means may be used such as the spring clips I), which may be secured to the separator B by screws, and provided with inturned ends embracing and holding the margin strips a of the adjacent panels.

Referring now to the structure shown in Figs. 3 to 9 inclusive, A, A represent cabinets or cabinet sections similar in general characterto those shown in Figs. 1 and 2 but having their frames made of wood. Each cabinet section A is provided with a base A, the cabinets and the bases of the several sections being identical in one vertical plane dimension, as already described with respect to Figs. 1 and 2, and the cabinet sections A having their juxtaposed ends j They are removably held in place by a screw or bolt 0 which passes through a flange 0 provided at the edge of the top wall of the cabinet, into the margin frame 0 of the endpanel.

In order to effect a dust-proofing joint between the ends of the cabinet sections and their removable end panels, a'groove or recess d is provided in one of the meeting faces of the joint, and a packing strip at of compressible material, such as felt, is lodged therein. The packing strip d when uncompressed protrudes from the face of the grooved joint member as shown at d (see Fig. 8). When the two joint-making faces are drawn together by the screw or bolt 6 (see Fig. 9) the compressible packing material d is compressed, effectively sealing the joint between the meeting faces. Similar dust-proofing means are used between the ends of the cabinet sections and the separator B as shown in Fig. 7, save thatthe bolt 0 which holds the members together preferably passes completely through the two flanges c, c, and the separator frame B instead of terminating in the frame as shown in connection with the end panel. A similar dust-proofing strip may be used for all the joints of the cabinet. Thus, as shown in Fig. 5, the dust-proofing strips (Z are lodged in grooves in flanges e secured to the under side of the top wall of the cabinet, and in grooves in the flanges e secured to the bottom of the cabinet, said dust-proofing strips making tight joint with the frames of the side panels; and, as shown in Fig. 6,

flanges a, vertically arranged in the corners of the cabinet, afford meeting faces for the packing strips d lodged-in the sides of the side panels of the cabinet. Thus it will be seen that with the inventions above set forth museum cases or cabinets maybe assembled from asmany cabinet sections as desired, to accommodate long or short exhibits; and to whatever extent the units may be multiplied, the interior space will be open and unobstructed from end to end.

I claim:

1. An expansible museum cabinet or case comprising a plurality of cabinet" sections identical in one vertical plane dimension, the juxtaposed ends of the sections being open and unobstructed, a base for each section also identical and of irregular contour in one vertical plane to permit a portion of adjacent bases to contact and provide an intervening space between the remainder of the bases and the sections, a separator between adjacent cabinet sections corresponding in contour with the identical plane contours of the cabinet sections and consisting of a margin frame between the ends of the walls of the cabinet sections, said frame being open portions adapted to fit the space between the bases, whereby a clear and unobstructed space is provided through and through from one section to another when the sections are juxtaposed with the separator between them, and means to bind said sections and their intervening separator together.

,2. An expansible museum cabinet or case comprising a plurality of cabinet sections identical in one vertical plane dimension, the juxtaposed ends of the sections being open and unobstructed, a separator between adj acent cabinet sections corresponding in contour with the identical plane contours of the cabinet sections and consisting of a margin frame between the ends of the walls of the cabinet sections, said frame being open and unobstructed in the center, whereby a clear and unobstructed space is provided through and through from one section to another when the sections are juxtaposed with the separator between them, the opposing ends of the sections having grooves or depressions, the separator having a complemental tongue for each groove or depression, whereby the sections will be held against relative transverse movement by the separator, and means for removably securing the sections and separator together.

Signed by me at Boston, Massachusetts, this 31st day of August, 1909.

DAVID E. HUNTER.

Witnesses: I

ROBERT CUSHMAN, JOSEPHINE H. RYAN.

and unobstructed in the center and having 

